February 23, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Wa shington, DC 20510 W ashington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Reid and Senator McConnell: As environmental agenc y commissioners in States that have adopted the California Clean Cars standards, we are writing to express our concern with the Resolution of Disapproval recently introduced by Senator Murkowski of Alaska that would invalidate the U.S. Environmental Protec tion Agency (USEPA) finding of endangerment for greenhouse gases (GHGs). Many of our States have previously expressed opposition to this Resolution because it would represent a denial of the overwhelming scientific evidence of real and urgent threats to human health and welfare posed by climate change, and would strip the nation of a proven, effective tool to begin to address this threat. Today we are writing to elevate a specific issue of national importance that may be jeopardized by the Resolution. We believe the Murkowski Resolution would prevent the federal program for passenger vehicle GHG standards from being finalized. As you know, under this program, USEPA proposed federal GHG standards for vehicles that will be roughly equivalent to both the federal corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards and the GHG standards pioneered by California and adopted by 13 other states and the District of Columbia. The existence of comparable federal GHG standards, in turn, would allow our States to accept c ompliance with the federal program as demonstrating compliance with the California program. This nationally harmonized state

-federal program has been widely praised by the automobile industry, environmental organizations, labor unions, States, the Obama Ad ministration, and many members of Congress.
Wi thout comparable federal vehicle GHG standards, our States will not be able to offer this alternative compliance option to automakers. Although the Resolution does not affect our States' independent authorit y under the Clean Air Act to separately adopt and enforce the existing California GHG standards, we believe that the entire nation would benefit from the cleaner vehicles, greater energy security, and consumer savings that a long overdue federal program wi ll provide. Moreover, we understand that vehicle manufacturers appreciate the flexibility of alternative compliance options and a harmonized national program. We would regret to lose these benefits to consumers, industry, and the Nation.For these reason s, we urge you to oppose the Resolution of Disapproval and to

preserve the hardwon benefits of a harmonized state

- federal vehicle standards program. Thank you for your consideration,

______________________________ ____________________________________ Mary D. Nichols, Chair Amey Marrella, Commissioner California Air Resources Board Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

_________________________________ ____________________________________ David Littell, Commissioner Laurie Burt, Commissioner Ma ine Department of Environmental Protection Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

_________________________________ ____________________________________ Ron Curry, Secretary Pete Grannis, Commissioner New Mexico State Environment Department N ew York Department of Environmental Conservation

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____________________________________ Dick Pedersen, Director W . Michael Sullivan, Director Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Rhode Island Department of Environment al Management

_________________________________ Ted Sturdevant, Director Wa shington Department